1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer system user interfaces, and more particularly to a computer system user interface in which the window title bar, command bar, and scroll bars are replaced with an icon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently existing operating systems allow many computer applications to share the computer display screen. The sharing is possible because the applications interact with parts of the screen, which are called windows, rather than with the entire screen. The computer user, rather than the application, controls the size and arrangement of the windows.
The fundamental components of a window are the title bar, window border, action bar, scroll bars, and client area. The title bar identifies a window to the user through the window title and it also serves as a visual cue to the user that he/she may move the window. The window title bar typically includes a system menu icon, the title of the window, and window-sizing icons.
The action bar is the area of the window that provides access to the action of an application. It is usually positioned directly below the title bar. Scroll bars provide the user with a visual cue that more information is available and that the unseen information can be manipulated into view by using a mouse or other pointing device to scroll the information. The remainder of the area inside the window border is the client area. The client area is the focus of the user's attention and it is where the user is presented with the objects on which they perform their work.
There are certain deficiencies in the presently existing window implementation. The various bars occupy a substantial amount of screen real estate. The area occupied by the bars decreases the size of the client area. Since users perform their work in the client area, their work space is limited. The information and the actions that are available in the bars are useful, but they are not needed all the time. Most of the time, the bars only clutter the window.